Oracle

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In ancient Greece, a priest or priestess who communicated the response of a god to a questioner was called an oracle. The term was also applied to the response itself and to the shrine of the god. The most famous oracles were at Dodona, where Zeus was thought to answer through the rustling of oak leaves, and at Delphi, where Apollo supposedly spoke through a priestess. In both cases, oracular responses came in such ambiguous ways that it was difficult to prove them wrong. A famous Roman oracle was at Cumae, where the sibyl was said to draw inspiration from Apollo.

In many cultures shamans have a function similar to oracles. See also divination.

Further Reading:

Wood, Michael, The Life and Afterlife of Oracles (2003).

How to cite this article:

MLA (Modern Language Association) style:

Wolverton, Robert E. "Oracle." Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Online, 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.

Chicago Manual of Style:

Wolverton, Robert E. "Oracle." Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Online http://gme.grolier.com/article?assetid=0214980-0 (accessed October 13, 2010).

APA (American Psychological Association) style:

Wolverton, R. E. (2010). Oracle. Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from Grolier Online http://gme.grolier.com/article?assetid=0214980-0